Collapsible-tube-closing machine



June 30, 1925.

T. L. HARRISON COLLAPSIBLE TUBE CLOSING MACHINE Filed March 1, 1923 Z INVENTOR ATTORNEY ill Patented June 30, 1925.

UNITED STATES THOMAS L. HARRISON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

COLLAPSIBLE-TUBE-CLOSING MACHINE.

Application filed March 1, 1923. Serial No. 621,984.

T 0 (171 7071 0m it may concern.

Be it known that l, THoMAs L. HARRISON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Collapsiblelube-(losing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to collapsible tube closing machines of the character of that shown in Letters Patent of the United States. No. 1,425,961, granted to me the 15th day of August, 1922, and which has for its object generally to provide an improved and novel construction of means for turning and closing the collapsible rear ends of a collapsible tube which may contain toothpaste. soap-paste, paint, or the like.

\Vhile the machine disclosed in the abovementioned patent has been found to be efiicient and quite satisfactory in practice it has happened that when in operation it has been reversed the forward end 75 of the turning lever 55 has been caught between the jaws 31 and 32 thereby causing a jamming action which is objectionable. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide means whereby if the forward end of the turning lever should occupy a position between the said jaws it would be displaced upon relative movement of .the jaws toward each other which displacement would prevent the objectionable jamming action above referred to.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means whereby unnecessary wear of the point of the turning lever which operates to turn the collapsed and compressed end portion of the tube is prevented.

To these and other ends my invention comprehends the construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which I have illustrated convenient forms of embodiment of the said invention.

In the drawings:

Fig 1 is a view in sectional front elevation of a machine comprising closing means embodying my invention;

Figs. 2, 3, 4;, 5 and 6 are views in side elevation of the inner portions of said closing means and of aportion of a collapsible tube to be closed showing the co-operative parts of the said closing means in different positions assumed thereby in the operation of the machine; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are views in side elevation showing a slightly modified construction of the said closing means.

I have shown my invention as applied to and embodied in a machine identical with that disclosed in the Letters Patent aforesaid and in Fig. 1 I have shown suflicient of the machine to enable an understanding of my present invention. For a full disclosure of the whole machine and a description thereof and of its operation reference may be had to the patent aforesaid.

Referring now to the drawing in detail: 1 designates the base of the machine upon which is supported a rotatable work support 2 by means of which the collapsible tubes 3 are supported and conveyed to the closing means which operate to close the rear collapsible ends thereof.

Rotation of the work support 2 is effected by bevel gears 5.

Compressing jaws 10 and 12 are mounted upon the frame of the machine. The former jaw is slidably supported between projections 15 which extend forwardly from a back plate 16 and is retained in position between the said projections by means of retaining cap plates 17. The jaw 12 is slidably supported in a guideway upon a bracket 18 projecting forwardly from the back plate 16. The said jaw 12 is provided with an opening or recess 19 open at its top. A slide plate 25 extends across the upper or top side of the recess 19. The said plate is provided with a projection 26 upon its lower side which extends into the recess 19. Interposed between the said projection and the forward end of the opening or recess 19 is a spring 27 which tends to hold the slide plate 25 in its outermost position. Outward movement of the said slide plate with respect to the jaw 12 is limited by the adjustable contact screw 30. Extending upwardly from the slide plate 25 is a projection 35 to which is pivotally secured at its lower side a turning lever 36. The connection between the said turning lever and the projection 35 is situated at a point relatively near the outer end of the said lever. At its forward end the turning lever 36 is provided with an angular downwardly extending projection 38 the opposite sides of which meet at an angle of approximately ninety degrees. The surface of the forward end of the said lever 36 is inclined at an angleof approximately fortyfive degrees to the length of the said lever. The purpose of so inclining the surface of the inner end of the said lever is that ifthe.project ion 38 should occupy a position between the jaws 10 and 12 upon relative movement of the latter toward each other the upper edge of the inner end of the jaw 10 would contact with the said surface and cam the lever upwardly out of the way and thereby prevent a jamming action and possible injury to the machine.

a It will be understood that the inclination of the surfaces upon the opposite sides of the projection 38 may be varied without departing from the invention.

Reciprocation of the jaws 10 and 12 is effected by means of levers 40 and 41. The former is pivotally connected at its lower end to the slidable jaw 10 and at its upper end to a stationary pivot 42 projecting forwardly from the back plate 16. C Intermediate its ends the lever 40 is provlded with a roller 43 which projects into a cam groove 44 upon the shaft 45 which in the operation .of the machine rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow 46. The lever 41 is pivotally connected at 47 to the upper part of the turning lever 36 directly above the point of pivotal connection between the said turning lever and the slide plate projection 35. At its upper end the lever 41 is connected to a stationary pivot 48 projecting forwardly from the back plate 16. The said lever 41 is provided intermediate its ends with a roller 50 which projects into a cam groove 51 upon the shaft 45.

In Figs. 1 to 6 of the drawing I have shown the turning lever 36 provided with a cam pro'ection 53 upon its lower side which is adapted to seat in an openingor depression 54 in the upper side of the jaw 12 near the inner end thereof.

It will be noted that the outer side of the projection 53 is inclined downwardly and inwardly and also that the outer side of the opening or depression 54 is likewise inclined.

In the construction as shown in Figs. 7

and 8 of the drawing the projection 53 and" the opening or depression 54 are omitted. It will be apparent that as the shaft 45 is rotated the levers 40 and 41 are oscillated to cause rectilinear reciprocating movements of the clamping jaws IO-and 12.

In Fig. 2 of the drawing the clamping jaws are shown in separated position with the unclosed end of a collapsible tube in position between the inner opposing ends thereof. In Fig. 1 of the drawing the jaws are shown in position with the upper rear end portion of the tube clamped between the same and flattened, as shown at 55. It will be noted that the cam groove 44 is so shaped that as the shaft continues its rotation in the direction indicated by the arrow 46 thereon from the position shown in Fig.

1 the jaw 10 will be retained in stationary position, but the cam groove 51 for operating the jaw 12 is so shaped that such wardly from the outer end of the said jaw I 12 contacts with the'outer side or edge of the bracket 18.'

The further inward movement of the slide 25 and of the turning lever 36 independently of the jaw 12- causes the edge of the downwardly extending projection 38 at the endof the saidturning lever .36 to contact with theflattened portion 55.0f the collapsible tube which projects above the top sides of the jaws 10 and 12 to bend the same over upon the 'aw 10,-as shown in Fig. 3. It will be noted that the top surface of the below the plane of the top surface of the jaw 12. This is desirable because it has been found that if the surfaces occupy the same plane it sometimes happens that the jaw 10 occupies a plane a short distance flattened upwardly projecting portion of,

t' tube which is turned over is injured. This cannot happen when the surface of. the jaw 10 on to which the said flattened portion 55 is bent is lower than the adjacent surface of the jaw 12. e i

Immediately following the' bending over of the flattened end portion of a tube, as

shown in Fig. 3, the cam groove 44 causes outward movement of'the jaw 10 into the position indicated in Figs. 4 and 7 of the drawing. By means of the pressure of the spring 27 against the slide plate 25 and by reason of the pivotal connection of theturn-. ing lever 36 with the slide 25 and thelever 41 the said turning lever is turned'about its pivots so that theinner end thereof is lowered from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Figs. 4 and 7 to bend the flattened end portion of the tube downwardly, as indicated in said Figs. 4 and 7,

with a surface of the turned down portion in contact-with the adjacent inclined surface upon the projection 38. Immediatel following the descending movement of t e inner end of the turning lever 36 and the bending down of the flattened rear endportion of the tube, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 7, the clamping bar 10 is again moved inwardly and the upper edge of its inner end portion contacts with the inclined surface at the inner end of the said turning lever and elevates the same by a camming action, as is indicated in Fig. 5.

The upper edge of the inner end of the clamping jaw 10 contacts with the inclined surface of the inner end of the turning lever 36 until the inner end of the said jaw contacts with the end of the flattened portion 55 of the tube. This is desirable and practically necessary in order to prevent the turned over flattened end portion 55 from returning to a horizontal or even an upwardly inclined position upon the release of the same by the projection 38 of the turning lever 36. By causing the upper edge of the inner end of the jaw 10 to remain in contact with the inclined surface of the inner end of the said. turning lever until the inner end contacts with the edge of the turned over end portion 55 it is insured that the jaws will always operate to clamp the said turned over end portion into closed position as shown in Figs. 6 and 8 of the drawing. As the turning lever 36 is returned toward its outer or withdrawn position in the construction as shown in-Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive theouter inclined side of the projection 53 contacts with the correspondingly inclined portion of the opening or depres sion 54 so that the inner end portion of the lever 36 is elevated without the projection 38 dragging up over the upper edge of the inner end of the jaw 12. This elevation begins before the clamping jaw 10 arrives at the position shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing, but as already indicated the operation should be such that the upper edge of the inner end of the jaw 10 remains in contact with the inclined inner end of the turning lever 36 until after the said jaw has moved into contact with the end of the bent over.

portion of the flattened end 55 of the tube and preferably such contact should be maintained until the upper side of the inner end portion of the jaw passes underneath the projection 38.

It will be seen that by my invention I have provided means whereby the inner end portion of the turning lever 36 is elevated in case of movement of the jaws toward each other during the time that the said turning lever is in its extreme inward position, as in Figs. 4 and 7..

'Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s: v

1. In a collapsible tube closing machine, the combination of reciprocating jaws which are adapted to clamp and flatten the open rear end portion of a tube, a turning member having pivotal and slidable connec- 1 moved inwardly relatively. to the jaw to i which it is connected to contact with the flattened portion of a tube to bend the same laterally and downwardly, the outer end of the said turning member being inclined in a direction away from the clamping face of the jaw opposed to that to which the said turning member is connected and the said turning member having a projection extending downwardly from its underneath side, the outer edge of which is inclined downwardly and inwardly, and the said clamping member to which the said turning memher is connected having a correspondinglyshaped recess into which the said projection seats upon inward movement of the said turning member.

2. In a collapsible tube closing machine, the combination of clamping jaws which are adapted to clamp and flatten the rear open end portion of a collapsible tube,

means having connection with one of said jaws for effecting reciprocation thereof, a turning lever having slidable and pivotal connection with the other of said jaws,

turning member is moved inwardly, and the inner end of said turning member having a downwardly'and outwardly inclined surface which is adapted to be engaged by the inner end of the first-named clamping member upon inward movement of the latter when said turning member occnipies its innermost position and eflect upwar movement of the said inner end and the said turning lever also-having a depending projection upon its lower side a distance from its inner end, the outer edge of said projection being provided with an inwardly and downwardly inclined surface, and the jaw to which said turning lever is connected having an opening of like shape into which the said projection is adapted to enter when the said turning lever has been moved to its innermost position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereunto signed my name this 27th day of February, A. 1).,

THOMAS L. HARRISON. 

